Human Highlights: Birthday Edition

Human Highlights is a Sunday tradition at Commode To Joy. It’s a friendly reminder to forgive your human moments, celebrate the highlights, and enjoy life’s little lovelies in the interim.

Human Moment: Have you ever had a disappointing birthday? Have you had an idea of how it would look or what would happen and it didn’t turn out? Maybe you didn’t get a single card…or gift…or even cake? Somebody sing to me for crying out loud!

As much as I don’t like to admit it, I’ve had birthdays that have fallen short of my optimistic expectations. I’m guessing I’m not alone with this human experience.

This year, I decided no more of that. This year, I planned a weekend trip to Chicago with Mark. This year, has been a top-notch, memorable birthday for all the right reasons…and I’m only halfway through the day.

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Highlight: March 11, my birthday eve. I woke up in a Chicago hotel and thought, What do I want to do today?

Mark had made lunch reservations for us at 1:30, and we had tickets for a Panic! at the Disco concert that evening. Beyond that, the day was open to my wants and whims.

I text an old friend to see if she and her husband, whom I’d never met, would like to meet up with me and Mark, whom they had never met. It felt right. It felt fun. And then she said yes!

Lindsey and Tim drove into the city and met us for lunch…which turned into stopping by a donut shop for dessert (happy birthday to me!)…which turned into shoving said donuts into my purse before entering an underground tiki bar.

There was one free table that the hostess said we could occupy for a half hour. Then we’d have to leave for a previously made reservation. Fine.

Our drinks – a Painkiller, Aloha Felicia, Tropical Itch, and a water for me – arrived. When the waitress walked away, I surreptitiously pulled the glazed, chocolate iced contraband from my purse. Cheers!

Our server learned of my birthday, and – since I wasn’t drinking – brought a complimentary glass of flaming pineapple juice to celebrate. Enter a big smile and an even bigger thank you; pineapple is my least favorite food on the planet, which is what makes the gesture so comically memorable. Cheers!

Drinks (minus the pineapple juice), conversation, and goodwill flowed. The hostess extended our stay. A half hour turned into nearly an hour and a half.

In between sneaking bites of donut deliciousness and sharing laughs with the best company I could’ve hoped for, I experienced the highlight of my week.

Old-New Friends

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Life’s Little Lovelies: The birthday hat is back.

You want to know how to make your birthday special? Take matters into your own hands. In other words, become responsible for celebrating yourself. And then, if others celebrate you too? It’s icing on the cake, or in my case, donut.